By JEFF CLEMETSON

On Oct. 8, Mayor Todd Gloria announced appointments to San Diego’s revamped Youth Commission — a body of young volunteers that advise and discuss issues related to the city’s young adults.

“I am excited to appoint this group of smart, talented, and community-oriented young people to the City’s Youth Commission,” said Mayor Todd Gloria in a statement. “It’s been years since the Commission was active and I’m looking forward to the important recommendations the Commission will provide to the city to make sure we are appropriately supporting and serving young people.”

Of the commission’s 17 members, San Calros resident and Patrick Henry senior Andrew Levikow was chosen as the sole representative of District 7.

Levikow’s interest in being a Difference Maker in the city is not surprising. He is one of three students who serve on Patrick Henry’s site council and was also the only student member of the interview panel for the hiring process to find Patrick Henry High’s new principal during his junior year. Levikow also currently serves the youth in his community as a volunteer Little League Umpire for the Mission Trails Little League Minors Division as well as volunteers in other areas in the community.

The Mission Times Courier recently caught up with Levikow to find out more about his interest in being a Difference Maker in the community and his plans for the future.

Share your background: What schools did you attend? What hobbies do you enjoy? Sports you play? Clubs you are involved in, etc.?

I’m Andrew Levikow, a senior at Patrick Henry High, an avid golfer, sports enthusiast, and sneaker aficionado. When I’m not in school or doing homework, I’m typically studying, working out, or preparing for my high school’s golf season.

At school, I’m co-president of the club Athletes Training Athletes where we train our special-ed students for the annual Special Olympics. I’m also one of eight chair members of Link Crew where I lead 150 of us upperclassmen that take initiative in helping the freshmen and sophomores feel like they’re a part of the high school community.

That’s a glimpse of who I am now, but previously I attended Benchley Weinberger Elementary School and Pershing Middle School. Go Pandas and Panthers!

How did you get involved in the Youth Commission? What was the process you had to go through? How were you eventually chosen?

I saw Mayor Todd Gloria’s news conference about reinstating the Youth Commission, which hasn’t been active since 2015, and knew I had to be a part of it.

After submitting my application I went through an interview process where I had the honor of virtually meeting Councilmember Raul Campillo. It was the first interview I had ever done, and I hope all of my future ones are just as fun. Not everyday you get to help your Councilmember fix his golf swing.

A couple weeks later I got an email saying I had been chosen as a representative for District 7 and had to wait for Mayor Gloria’s approval.

What is the Youth Commission? What will you be doing? When do you meet?

It is a council of youth aged 14-24 where the 17 of us come together to discuss ideas we can bring to Mayor Gloria and the City Council. Although we haven’t had a meeting yet, I’m excited that this group has already started putting ideas together for our upcoming meetings. There will be at least four a year, and it’s a two-year term.

In the City of San Diego, what are the deficiencies in meeting the needs of young people in your opinion, or experience? How do you think the city should address them?

After learning about the term “equity” in one of my classes, the image of people getting assisted in different ways so they could all see over the fence stuck with me. One person was tall enough to see over the fence. Another needed a few boxes so they could now see over the fence. And another person, one in a wheelchair, got a ramp, which allowed them to see over the fence too. Look up the word “equity” and it’s one of the first images that pops up.

If we can apply equity through the Youth Commission and help impact everyone so we can all see over the fence, it would show lots of progress. One way we can do this is through sports. I remember how much fun my rec leagues were and want to make sure every kid in San Diego has an opportunity to join some sort of organized league so they can stay active. Similar to the reduced lunch program we have at school, I’m sure something similar can be established for youth sports.

What are your plans after high school?

I hope to go to whatever great college will accept me, preferably staying in California, and major in Economics. I will also get a Master’s in Business as I hope to have a career down that path.

Anything you’d like to add?

Thanks for letting me share a little bit about myself and the Youth Commission, and I hope this can inspire people of all ages to be proactive in the community.

— Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at [email protected].